The River Knows by Amanda Quick

From the Publisher

The first kiss occurred in a dimly lit hallway on the upper floor of Elwin Hastings’s grand house. Louisa never saw it coming. . . .

Of course, Anthony Stalbridge couldn’t possibly have had romantic intentions. The kiss was an act of desperation, meant to distract the armed guard who was about to catch the pair in a place they most definitely did not belong. After all, in her dull maroon gown and gold-rimmed spectacles, Louisa Bryce was no man’s idea of an alluring female. Clearly, the only thing a catch like Anthony Stalbridge had in common with a wallflower like Louisa was a passionate interest in the private affairs of Mr. Hastings - a prominent member of Society whom they both suspect of hiding terrible secrets. Now, thrown into each other’s arms by their ruse, Anthony and Louisa are united in their efforts to find the truth.

Each has a personal reason for the quest. Months earlier, Anthony’s fiancée threw herself into the Thames - or at least, that is the version whispered in London’s social circles. Anthony believes someone else may have had a hand in her death - and a murderous one at that. Louisa, whose own identity is shrouded in layers of mystery, is convinced that Hastings has a connection to a notorious brothel. When Anthony successfully cracks Hastings’s hidden safe and discovers highly incriminating evidence, it appears that both their instincts were correct.

But Hastings is hiding far more than jewels and ledger books. Bringing him to justice will be more perilous than Louisa and Anthony anticipate - and their partnership will be more heated than either expects. For the two share a thrilling attractionto danger, and it is not only Anthony’s curiosity that Louisa arouses.

Publishers Weekly

The suspense begins with the first sentence of this romantic mystery from the pseudonymous Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz uses this pseudonym for her Victorian novels). Gossip spreads fast about the liaison between "unimportant, unfashionable, excessively dull" Louisa Bryce and wealthy, handsome Anthony Stalbridge. In reality, their first kiss was a spur-of-the-moment coverup when the two are caught snooping around Elwin Hastings's mansion. Louisa, an undercover reporter for the sensational newspaper, Flying Intelligencer, is investigating Hastings's crooked financial dealings, while Anthony seeks the truth about his fiancée, one of three society women who supposedly committed suicide a year ago. Under the guise of their romance, Louisa and Anthony expose Hastings's many criminal schemes. Their relationship isn't all business, however, and Louisa's profession isn't her only secret. Quick's tightly woven tale allows little room for extraneous subplots—every cracked safe and mysterious prostitute plays an important role. Light humor and playful love scenes temper the more gruesome moments for an alluring combination of foggy nights and steamy afternoons. (Apr.)

Kristin Ramsdell - Library Journal

Louisa Bryce works hard at being unnoticed, and with her frumpy clothes and retiring manner, she generally succeeds. But not with Anthony Stalbridge. He knows she's up to something and follows her into the shadowy upper floors of the mansion where they are both attending a ball. An impulsive, passionate embrace is all that saves them from being reported by the guard. It seems they are on the trail of the same man and warily join forces. A daring hero searching for answers, an intrepid journalist heroine with dangerous secrets of her own, and a complex plot involving some of the darker realities of late Victorian society combine with Quick's wicked wit, inviting sensuality, and stellar sense of timing. Another winner for a top writer in the field. Quick (Second Sight), a.k.a Jayne Ann Krentz and Jayne Castle, lives in the Seattle area. [See Prepub Alert, LJ1/07.]

Kirkus Reviews

A bookish undercover reporter teams up with quirky gentleman to uncover the truth behind the suspicious drownings of several young ladies in late-Victorian-era London. After his fiancee, Fiona, is pulled from the inky Thames, Anthony Stalbridge must endure rumors that his imminent jilt caused her suicide. An independent thinker wealthy enough to know that his standing in society is assured, Anthony is driven less by concern for his reputation than by his growing suspicion that Fiona was murdered. His digging leads him to a party at the mansion of high-profile investor Elwin Hastings, whose wife Victoria also plunged into the Thames. There, Anthony crosses paths with Mrs. Louisa Bryce, a bespectacled, unfashionably dressed young widow (and proto-feminist) who believes Hastings is a partner in a well-known brothel catering to respectable gentlemen's darker impulses. The two forge an unlikely alliance, and Anthony finds himself increasingly fascinated with the elusive Louisa. It turns out that she is secretly I.M. Phantom, popular columnist for a tabloid dedicated to scandal among the upper crust. She is also, under her glasses and plain gowns, quite a sexy minx. Mistaking her for a woman of the world, Anthony attempts an al fresco seduction, only to discover that she is not as experienced as he thought. His miscalculation matters naught to Louisa, who gamely throws herself into their "illicit" affair. In fact, she is almost disappointed when Anthony introduces her to his charming, unconventional family. Could he possibly have real feelings for her? Meanwhile, bodies connected to Hastings pile up as the lovers get close to some very shady characters in organized crime, and Louisa has evenmore surprises in store for Anthony. Quick (Second Sight, 2006, etc.) does it again with a naughty-and-nice romp.

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